my blog and much more to help you
One of the people in my circles who is making the most difference in our world is Jim Hocking. This humble man just wanted to make a difference in the lives of the people he grew up with in the Central African Republic. I’m so glad that we can have him with us @LosAltosGrace tomorrow! If you want to find out more about Jim’s Story…and ICDI’s Story too, check out this video!
You should read the story of Marcellin in the November E-Newsletter from ICDI!
Catalytic leader of the Student Church movement, Erik Fish shares about making disciples at Cornerstone Community Church in Kansas City, KS. Erik challenges us with the question “Can we do what Jesus modeled for us today?”
© 2012 Cornerstone Community Church and Erik Fish – posted originally HERE
Erik & Jen Fish have a passion to be on mission with Jesus – as a family. They help catalyze Student Church Movements –see how student church planters are bringing the gospel to universities and the nations at http://studentchurch.org
More at http://ErikFish.com or on Twitter @FishErik
See also the articles:
Dumb Mistakes I Made Growing Movements by Erik Fish
Matches and Movements: What Kind of Revival Do We Want? Erik Fish
Put the following four words in the correct order of importance;
Work, Family, Church, God
What did you come up with?
Actually, this is a trick question. The best option is to remove God from the list, put the other three words in any order you’d like and then place God on top of the list. It might look something like this:
Most of us today would describe our lives as busy. Probably too busy is more like it. When we consider our lives as having compartments like work, house work, hobbies, family time, devotional or quiet times with God, church activities, evangelism and on and on, there is simply no way we have time for it all. However, if we follow the picture above, and we write God over whatever category you place on the list, pretty quickly we can begin to have more time. How can that happen?.
The Scriptures teach us that “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17). In this verse we find the principle of writing God over our lives, in all we do.
Here are a couple of suggestions to help you realize the time you need to live a full, faithful and fruitful life.
1. Hold your life open and accessible to God at all times. Ask Him what His priority is for you in any given situation. This will require you to die to your agenda and replace it with God’s agenda. This may require you add a hobby to your life so you will engage a person of peace (Luke 10) and help them to learn to follow Jesus. It may require that lay down a hobby or other activity that is distracting you from hearing the Lord and following His lead. Whether God adds, subtracts or rearranges things in your life, you will need to learn to become flexible in some ways as you discipline yourself to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead in your life.
2. Stop seeing life as a bunch of categories (work, rest, play, church etc.) and begin to see your life as a continuous story where God interacts throughout. When we move in this direction then God is prevalent in every moment. Whether we are pumping gas, watching a sunrise, straining to lift weights, enduring another meeting at work or spending time leisure around the home, when life is viewed as a continuous action of worship, we find rest and fulfillment. We are no longer missing out on doing something, we are enjoying God in whatever we are doing.
So stop categorizing and start writing the presence of God over everything you do. Listen to His voice and follow His lead. You will more time than you can imagine and more fruit than you ever dreamed possible.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Let me know if this is helpful to you and your church.
©2012 Ed Waken
Originally posted on Ed’s Blog here
Ed tweets @EdWaken
Used with permission.
See also:
Conversations Not Conversions – Ed Waken
Who Is In Charge?: ReTooling Leadership 1
Jesus’ Example: ReTooling Leadership 2
The Leader’s Priority: ReTooling Leadership 3
Organic Evangelism Principles
The Deal on Disciple Making – Video
We at CMA Resources were encouraged by this email:
Subject: HOLY SPIRIT IS MOVING MIGHTILY
Hey,
Just a short update after our time at the Milwaukee Greenhouse Training. I am leading 3 simple churches now and we have at least 2 that have planted from people in these. I let God do what only God do and am PROFOUNDLY dependent on Him to lead these. I have grown so much in my faith and like you, I desire to be nothing and Him everything. I learned alot from your trainers.
I have been meeting with our lead pastor and sharing what God is doing in our simple churches. He is going to have a total makeover of our 35 small groups and have them based on the organic church. We are spending the summer in our groups digging into 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus for leadership development and disciple training. We are desperate to learn from Him and Gods word.
There has been alot of heartache in my journey and I would not have it any other way. I will save a few of those stories for another time. I am living my dream my friend and I love it. Please pass what God is doing in Milwaukee on.
I am simply focusing on 2 things; the lost and leadership. You are always a great inspiration to me.
Jim
The Starfish & the Spider- The unstoppable power of leaderless organizations
by Rod Beckstrom & Ori Brafman
Epilogue to the Paperback Edition page 209
Watch author Ori Brafman do a Presentation on the concepts at our CMA Conference!
I
think the best way I can talk about the “Power of Presence” is to share a story from my own journey. Let me tell you about my Life Transformation Group and how the Power of Presence has allowed us to plant kingdom seeds in people’s lives.
In the summer of 2011, my friend David led my friend Harry (both part of this group) to Christ at a table in a Chipotle restaurant close to our neighborhood. Since that night, a group of guys has been meeting every single week in that same Chipotle. We bring our Bibles and simply talk about what we’ve read that week and what’s going on in our lives. We don’t come with a hard agenda and we aren’t particularly flamboyant. What we are is consistent. We are there every single week.
Over the months, we’ve gotten to know many of the staff and even developed friendships with some of them. It’s been fun to watch the relationships grow. I remember the first time I realized that they had taken note of our consistent presence. It was Christmas Eve, and I strolled in there by myself to get my wife and I some lunch to go. One of the people there asked if our group was meeting early that day because of the holiday. Then, she stopped herself, and said “Oh, wait, it’s not a Thursday.” I knew then that they had come to expect us at that same time on that same night every single week.
Fast forward a few months to early spring time. There is another young staff member that works there named Alona. We’d gotten to know her and she’d started routinely giving us free drinks/chips (another benefit of the Power of Presence!). Anyway, she slowly moved from friendly chit-chat to actually asking us questions and showing interest in what our purpose is for being there every week. I could talk a lot more about Alona, but, suffice to say, she now has a Bible and has agreed to read the gospel of John with us. Please pray with us that God would speak to her heart and she would make a decision to surrender her life to Jesus, the Messiah!
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. There is another middle-aged woman who works there named Shelby. We haven’t been able to get to know her as easily, but she’s definitely come to notice our consistently being there. A couple of weeks ago, she took her break outside at a table close to where Harry and I sat. I didn’t think anything about it really, but I do remember wondering what she must be thinking as we sat there talking about the Bible and things in our lives. Well, that brings us to this week’s meeting. She made a comment to Harry as he was going through the line that she was sorry for eavesdropping but that she couldn’t help but listen in and be encouraged by the incredible conversation that night a couple of weeks ago. Harry told her that she was always welcome to join in the conversation any time.
Well, sure enough, an hour later she came and sat down close by our table for her break and wasted no time in sharing her story with us. I know we’ve only scratched the surface of her story, but she shared about the addictions that she’s been able to overcome, about her father who is dying of cancer, about her criminal background, and about her dreams and aspirations. In her 15 minute break, we got her to title her autobiography for us (literally – it was the word written on her first hit of heroine).
Anyway, I could go on and on about this…and obviously this story is far from over. But, I believe in the Power of Presence. It directly led to Alona being drawn to the Lord and to His Word. It led directly to Shelby feeling comfortable enough to share her story with a couple of guys willing to sit and listen. And I didn’t even tell you about Aaron, the high-schooler who started meeting with us after seeing us in Chipotle one night as he ate with his friends. Who knows what God will be able to do with our group as we continue to show up and be obedient?
—
(c) 2012 Jay Stiegelmeyer
Used by permission
General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, presents some penetrating questions and challenges in this two and a half minute clip.
See also, You’re Going Too Fast by General William Booth
Last week, I stood at the edge of the North Sea with my friends from CMA in Southern Norway, watching the fog roll in over the rocky islands. It was an erie feeling, a combination of things both old and new. Good and evil. It is hard for me to describe the paradoxical atmosphere — it felt both thick and thin at the same time. Thick with fog and heaviness, yet thin with a sense that the veil between the natural and spiritual world was very small. What was God up to in this place?
We met a brother from the churches who told us about his sister’s family who lived on this land. We were invited to visit them. Next to their home was an ancient burial mound. The meaning of the mound had been lost in time, but local lore reported the site to be a place of unholy sacrifices meant to appease dark deities of old.
As we climbed the mound, brief images of ancient peoples, past tragedy, spiritual darkness, and suffering played across my mind. Was I seeing a vision?
We prayed at the mound. We declared the truth that Jesus reigns in this land and ancient gates of darkness were closed. I felt a deep sense of peace as we held hands and worshiped God.
What happens in the spiritual affects the natural. It was time to tell the family who dwelt in these lands the message of Jesus – the reigning King who frees us from fear, superstition, and dark forces. He comes to fill our lives with His love.
“When you enter a home, eat what is set before you…announce the kingdom of God…heal the sick, cast out demons…freely you’ve received; freely give.” -Jesus
We entered this precious family’s home. Their home was known by locals as a place for new age-type healings, but as always is the case with dark forces, there is another side to things. They served us coffee. As we sat together, they told us of the fear they often feel in their home. “We sometimes see evil spirits that come into our home.”
We told them Jesus does not want them to be afraid any longer. We shared God’s words with them. We spoke of Jesus’ power over demonic spirits. We shared that we were Jesus’ messengers and He wanted to bless their home and family and free them from these fears.
We prayed for the family, blessing their home.
No one appeared sick, but Jesus’ words about healing the sick kept coming to my mind as we sat in their living room.
“Is anyone here sick?” I asked.
“Yes! My son has pains and deformities in his legs.”
We knelt to pray for the son. His eyes lit up as he rose to try out his legs.
“I think they are better!” he enthusiastically reported to his family.
We left the family with our blessings. We invited them to follow Jesus further, trusting them to the care and follow up of their brother who had introduced us to them.
Every time Jesus entered a home, He always made things better. We have the power to do the same thing. Jesus came to bless all the families of the earth.
How are you letting Jesus into your family and the families of those you know?
—–
Originally posted by Erik Fish on his blog ErikFish.com here
Used by permission
A helpful e-newsletter from Dr. Traver Dougherty
from the archives
3/15/2010
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Our bro, Neil Cole was at the Newforms National Conference in April and they captured some video…these clips are short (3-5 minutes) and pithy!
When attempting to transition an existing church in a more missional direction I believe one of the topics of discussion must surround the concept of “the priesthood of all believers.” For me the “priesthood of all believers” is not just a theological perspective on there being no need for an earthly mediator to God, but I also understand it from a missiological standpoint. In other words, if we understand the church as God’s agent sent into the world to participate in what He is already doing, then every member must be developed and deployed as missionaries into their local setting. The church is sent, not just collectively, but individually. Therefore, the church needs to be affirming and “commissioning” every member to engage his or her local mission field.
In their book, Untamed: Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship Alan and Deb Hirsch tell a story of how they “commissioned” the entire congregation of South Melbourne Restoration Community.
At South we took the “priesthood of all believers” (that every person is a minister and needs to be released as such) seriously. This didn’t mean that our community always lived this out, but it was a value we tried to live by (and at times used humor to reinforce). In order to drive this point home, one Sunday morning, as our community arrived for our gathering, we greeted each person at the door and handed them a two-inch-wide strip of white flexible card and a fastener. Many looked puzzled but decided to play along, wondering just what we were up to.
A short time after the service began, Al asked everybody to stand up and fasten the white strip around their necks. He then proceeded to lead the whole church through an ordination ceremony. It wasn’t quite what people were expecting, but that morning each and every person gathered at South was officially ordained into the ministry of Jesus. Once they were all ordained, they could dispose of the symbolic (and very unnecessary) dog collars and just live out their commission.
How else can we encourage people in the church to live out a “priesthood of all believers” understanding? What things have you done to “commission” people to mission?
From 1886 by Salvation Army founder William Booth
—
They say we go too fast! This accusation comes from all directions. Our enemies do not like our speed and our friends are afraid of it. What do they mean? If they had complained that we did not go fast enough, I could understand them. If our enemies had argued that after all we say about the evils of sin, the terrors of the Judgment Day, and the damnation of hell, we do not believe in these things ourselves, I could understand that, and feel humbled under their indictment.
If our friends came together and said, “Why don’t you increase the speed? Look at the dying millions at home and abroad. You have evidently got a wonderful way of reaching the masses. You have accomplished what no other organization has. You can adapt yourselves to all peoples and countries and climates. Why don’t you push on faster? Why don’t you train more cadets-send out more officers-hunt up more criminals, drunkards and fallen women? Go faster; get up more steam!” Now, this seems to me would be the natural way of talking for both foes and friends. But no! The cry is not “Go faster” but “You go too fast!” What do they mean?
Speed is a good thing… Read the rest here
The classic work by Neil Cole on discipleship, Cultivating A Life For God, has just been released in an E-Book form on Kindle and coming soon on Nook and other e-book formats.
The new version is sporting a new cover designed by Neil Cole himself.
This book has sold thousands copies and still has a potent message to leaders and churches about making and multiplying disciples. Life Transformation Groups are being used fruitfully to make and multiply disciples all over the world!
We are pleased that CMA Resources could bring this important book into the electronic medium.
“In my years of ministry, I have not found any method that produces such powerful results in fulfilling the Great Commission. I personally plan on using this system for the rest of my life to make as many disciples of the kingdom as I can before Christ calls me home!” – Neil Cole (page 89)
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Added May 12, 2012
Now available on the Barnes & Noble’s NOOK also.
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Neil Cole says of the early period of Church Multiplication Associates, “‘We want to lower the bar of how church is done and raise the bar of what it means to be a disciple.‘ Their rationale was that if the experience of church was simple enough that just about anyone can do it, and is made up of people who have taken up their cross and follow Jesus at any cost, the result will be to do the uncommon works of God. ‘Churches will become healthy, fertile and reproductive.’ If this is right, then many of our current practices seem to be the wrong way around…we seem to make church complex and discipleship too easy.”
(p. 104 of The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch)
Maybe it’s because Matt and I share the same birthday – even the year. Maybe it’s because my wife, Aimee, gets a little giddy when she hears his name. Maybe it’s because he’s a relatively good actor. While Matt and I don’t share the same political views or moral standards, I always seem to listen when he talks.In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Damon reflected on life in the limelight. Just before the premier of Good Will Hunting, someone told Matt, “You’re going to be famous, and it’s going to be fun for a week.” Then, Matt lamented to Piers, “When do I get my week?” Matt’s point? Fame is overrated.While few intentionally capitalize on the Christian industry, for some there’s that nagging question, “Papa, when’s it my time to shine? When will I get the chance to really make a difference for the Kingdom?” While the question itself poses some problems, it’s an honest one and it’s important we address it. 
